Insanity Incarnate
by Ma Junior1
Summary: My take on what happened between the Rockman - Rockman X games. Rated PG13 for language, violence, and some gore.
1. Prologe

Insanity Incarnate  
  
Prologue  
  
Harsh frozen winds roared past a solitary building. Inside, almost no life could be found, except in one large, windowless room. Darkness encompassed the room, with the exception of the little light that computers that surrounded the room gave off. Within the light, an old man was visible, hunched over what appeared to be a body.  
  
The man's breathing was ragged, his body emaciated. Only his hands moved; quickly and with an expertise that could only be brought by great skill and a lifetime of experience. The man closed the chest cavity of the body, hiding complicated and ingenious wiring.  
  
Truly, the man thought, this is my greatest work. My ultimate creation.  
  
He stood back, admiring his work. The perfection of it, the potential of it... certainly, this was something only madness could produce. And they called me mad before! the man scoffed.  
  
Surely, world domination was a fool's dream, but it was not insanity. In his old age, what would controlling the world do for him in the long run? He had no descendants, and the benefits would be short-lived. Now, he aspired for only one thing: to prove his superiority over his rival, and destroy him.  
  
Insanity, it was what set him free to accomplish his dream. It was insanity that had let him forsake food, water, and sleep to create what lie before him, and he had embraced it as a mother to her child.  
  
This thing before him was a manifestation of his insanity, of all he aspired to do in life. In a sense, it was his child. Yet, he was in awe of the genius of it.  
  
Its power, once activated, would be beyond anything seen before. Its systems so complex it would be more like a human then any of its predecessors. Because of this, he had limited its programming, as it would become uncontrollable with too many directives.  
  
Of course, there was always the possibility of defeat, no matter how slim. He had learned that, and accepted it. This was where his genius truly shined. With defeat, victory was assured.  
  
Thus, he had chosen a name for his creation. Defeat is victory, he thought as he leaned over his creation. Kamikaze, he thought as he slowly, with all the effort left in his wasted body, etched a Z on the round shoulder of his creation.  
  
Zero. 


	2. The Museum

Insanity Incarnate  
  
Chapter 1  
  
"Rock, would you help me with these?" Rockman, sitting at the table, looked up to see his sister, Roll, carrying two large boxes, the top one threatening to fall. He immediately stood up, walked to his sister, and gabbed the top box.  
  
"Thanks." Roll said, walking toward the door. Rockman followed her.  
  
He knew what was in the boxes. Dr. Light's long time hobby was toy making, and he usually gave the toys he made to various charities. In fact, it was toy making that had led the good doctor to robotics.  
  
As they loaded the boxes into Auto's truck, he couldn't help but think of the irony of it.  
  
Dr. Light studied the field of robotics to help mankind. Now, he spent the majority of his time creating weapons for Rock, because of that same intent. Although his creations had saved the world several times, Rock knew that it pained him to make weapons.  
  
He was tired of fighting. He was tired of the weapons. But he still fought. He hoped that if he fought, maybe someday Dr. Light would be able to spend all his time making toys.  
  
"Rock." Dr. Light called from the basement lab, breaking his thoughts. Rock walked down the stairs to find Dr. Light hunched over his workbench. He usually did his work at the lab in town. He must have been working on this for a while.  
  
"Yes, Dr. Light?" Rockman asked. Dr. Light turned, a kind smile on his face.  
  
"Would you put on your suit, please?" He asked. Rock nodded, and went to change into his blue battle suit.  
  
"I've just finished an upgrade on your buster." Dr. Light explained. "I'd like to test it." Rock nodded, and his right hand transformed into a buster, a plasma cannon.  
  
"Rock! Come quick!" Roll yelled above them. Doctor and creation hurried upstairs, finding Roll sitting next to the TV. On the screen, the robotics museum was shown, with the headline "Live! News Break!" scrolling across the screen. Roll turned up the volume to hear the reporter's narration.  
  
"...have sprung to life, attacking several visitors and staff. There have been several no casualties so far, but seven people were rushed to the hospital with critical injuries. The police have the robots contained inside the museum as of now..."  
  
"Rock." Dr. Light said gravely. Rock nodded, running out of the room.  
  
"Rush!" Rock yelled as he tore out the door. The robotic dog, who was sleeping lazily near a solitary tree instantly sprung to life. With a howl, he transformed to a jet. Rockman leapt up, slamming his helmet on his head. Rush caught him, and tore through the sky.  
  
***  
  
As he neared the museum, he saw that the city had been evacuated for blocks, police surrounding the area. He leapt off Rush, landing in front of the museum doors. He heard some of the police shout in surprise, but none tried to stop him when they saw who he was. He ran inside, missing their triumphant cheers.  
  
At first, he was struck at how silent it was. Usually, Wily's robots attacked him as soon as he entered the area. The stillness unnerved him.  
  
His buster hummed as he charged it. He walked cautiously down the main hallway. He heard something behind him. He turned to see a piece of what was once the wall hurtling toward him. He leapt over it, and landed to see Gutsman tearing another piece of the wall out. Rockman let his charged shot lose. He was taken by surprise by the force of the blast. He lost his footing, and fell backwards. He had forgotten about Dr. Light's upgrade. The charged plasma hit Gutsman, knocking him to the ground. Even with the upgrade, it seemed far too easy.  
  
Then, he saw that Gutsman had been blown to bits, but he was hollow inside. No wiring, nothing to activate him. He walked toward the shell of Gutsman when, a fraction too late, he heard someone come up behind him.  
  
Before he could turn, a wave of electricity overcame him, frying his circuits. He hit the ground on his hands and knees, and turned to see his attacker. Elecman was standing there, his cannon extended. It was filled with another electric attack.  
  
Rockman rolled out of the way, braced himself, and fired three rapid-fire shots. The first hit Elecman's left shoulder, blowing the arm off. The second hit his chest, creating a cavity, exposing the hollow shell. The last reached his head.  
  
Robots began to come after Rockman from every corner. He dodged their attacks as best he could, buying time for his buster to charge. He braced himself and fired, creating an opening down the hallway. Rockman ran, the other robots in pursuit.  
  
He needed to find someplace where they couldn't surround him...  
  
Rock on an impulse, and broke open a door. Another hallway, laden with unmoving robots. He continued to run, even as the dormant robots came to life.  
  
They're just shells, he thought, something must be controlling them. It made sense. That was why the robots didn't leave the museum; whatever was controlling them had limits. Rock turned right, still running. He was heading toward the center of the museum. It made the most sense that his true foe was there.  
  
He came to a wide display room, with the next few floors exposed above. He stopped for a moment, deciding where to go, when he saw the shapes of robots on the floor above him. He ran out of the way as they leapt at him. More were coming down the stairs. They had him surrounded.  
  
Desperate, Rockman turned slowly, firing rapid-fire shots from his buster. The robots that were still functional grabbed the hollow bodies of the fallen, put them in front of them, and charged.  
  
Rock had a moment to charge his buster, reasoning that such coordinated behavior was definitely proof they were being controlled. Then, they were upon him.  
  
He was hit with fire, water, electric, and various attacks all at once. Screaming in agony, but still in control of his functions, he raised his charged buster and released. He ran toward the opening it created, but was quickly surrounded. He felt hands pulling him, tearing at him, pinning him to the ground.  
  
He fired wildly, trying to release himself from their grasp. His arm was free! He reached upwards, toward the faces of his opponents, took a moment to charge his buster, and fired. The grouping hands fell.  
  
He leapt up, only to find more robots in the room, ready to attack. A feeling of inevitability overtook him for a moment. But, his programming would see to it that he would fight to the very end.  
  
Desperate, he leapt strait up. His fingers grazed the railings of the second floor. He missed, and for a moment hung in the air. He grabbed blindly at the air; the only other option was to fall into a seeming endless sea of murderous robots. His fingers found purchase on the carpeted cement of the floor on the second floor. He grabbed, slipped, and grabbed again, halting his descent.  
  
Rock lifted himself to the floor, taking a moment to let the fear subside. He could here the footsteps of the robots hurrying up the stairs. He needed an escape route.  
  
Rockman glanced behind him, to the floor below. He saw only Snakeman standing still, in front of a door. Almost as if he was guarding it...  
  
What ever is controlling them is behind the door! Rock thought excitedly.  
  
Just as the first wave of robots reached him, he leapt into the air. He hit the ground running, charging his buster immediately. Snakeman saw him, and aimed his own arm canon, and fired. A snake immerged, slithering toward Rock, its mouth agape. Waiting till the last instant, Rock leapt over the snake, and fired his buster. The hollow Snakeman crumbled easily under its force.  
  
Rockman ran over the remains of Snakeman, and hurled himself at the door. It swung open, crashing into the wall. Rock found himself at the top of a dark set of stairs. A glance backwards at the oncoming robots was all he needed to begin running into the darkness.  
  
He stumbled in the almost complete darkness, and slowed down. He listened for sounds of pursuers, but heard nothing. He cautiously made his way down the rest of the stairs, until he came to a door. He opened it tentatively, walking into another dark, wide room.  
  
The room was incomplete. Rafters hung bare above him. He was unable to decipher how tall the room was, because there was no light past the first few rafters. He walked slowly toward the middle of the room. He found that he had been unconsciously charging his buster the entire time, and was comforted a little.  
  
He heard a noise behind him, and snapped around, his buster in front of him.  
  
"Who's there?" He demanded. A robot slowly walked into the light. He was slightly taller then Rockman. He seemed to be made of wood, with large splinters for fingers, a long pointed nose, and a cap on his head, with a feather in it. He held his hands slightly in front of him, exposing the fingers, which Rock assumed could probably pierce metal.  
  
"You've done very well to come here." Said the robot in a high-pitched voice. He gave off a slight cackle that annoyed Rock.  
  
"Who are you!?" Rock demanded, his buster still pointed at the robot.  
  
"I am Puppetman." Said a voice behind him. Rock spun to find an identical robot behind him.  
  
"We will tear you limb from limb!" Three more Puppetmen immerged from the shadows, forming a loose circle around Rock. Rockman felt his "heart" sink, but raised his buster anyway.  
  
One of the robots charged him from behind, sharp fingers raised. Rock saw him coming, and leapt over his attack. His foot was jerked upward in mid- air, throwing him upside-down. It felt as if some invisible rope had wrapped around his foot. He looked up, but saw nothing in the darkness above him. He looked at his attacker below, to find that he was immobile, with his arm raised strait up, his hand hanging limp at his wrist. For a moment, Rock was utterly confused. Around him, the other four robots were advancing on him, their attack postures the same as the immobile one below him.  
  
Slowly, the truth dawned on him. He understood...  
  
He pointed his charged buster at an angle just above his suspended foot, and fired. He was immediately released, collapsing on the Puppetman below him. He heard the other threads snap under the added weight. It was a puppet, not a robot.  
  
The others launched themselves at him. He rolled under their attacks, and fired above one. It fell to the floor as well.  
  
He realized that fighting like this wouldn't get him anywhere. He needed to fight the puppeteer. He ran and leapt next to one of the remaining puppet, his hands blindly grasping at the air. He felt his fingers close around the thread, which was so thin it was nearly invisible. He grabbed it with both ands and pulled with all his might.  
  
Puppetman let out a high shriek as he was pulled from his perch in the darkness. The three remaining puppets collapsed as the puppeteer hit the floor. He stood up, shakily, and faced Rockman. He looked just like his puppets, except his fingers were shaped like a human's, bundles of thread immerging from his palms.  
  
"You figured me out quite a bit faster then I expected." Said Puppetman, his high, squeaky voice filled with utter confidence. "I hoped you might have taken a little more damage from my puppets. I suppose I alone will have the pleasure of taking you apart, piece by piece."  
  
Faster then Rock could react, thread shot from the robot's hands, ensnaring him. Puppetman thrust his arm, knocking Rock into a wall. Rock screamed as he was bashed again and again into the walls, forming dents every time he made impact.  
  
Puppetman was soon bored of this game, though. Throwing Rockman to the floor, he leapt upon a low rafter, pulling Rock with him, so that he was suspended in the air. The threads untangled themselves, leaving only one for each of his arms, legs, and head.  
  
"You are my puppet now." Puppetman said maliciously. "And my puppets dance." Puppetman began to move his fingers wildly, tangling them within the thread. Rock's limbs began to move chaotically, in ways they were never meant to go. Mercifully, he had no bones; the wild thrashing would have snapped each in dozens of places. He almost gave up trying to break free from Puppetman's hold; it was unbelievably strong. He almost gave up... until he felt a thread graze his fingers. His hand, which still bent to his own will, snatched the thread. He found that he suddenly had control over his right arm. Before the thought of firing had even graced his mind, his hand instinctively transformed to the buster. Rock fired immediately, hitting Puppetman's face with several shots.  
  
He was free! He fell to the floor, landing hard on the concrete. He rolled as threads shot from above with such force that they imbedded themselves in the floor. Puppetman was through playing. Now he was going for the kill.  
  
The robot master leapt from his perch, eyeing Rock. He threw his hands foreword, sending the killing threads. Rock barely managed to avoid the attack. The threads intertwined, creating two long whips. Rock used his entire physical prowess to avoid the whips; dodging, sliding, jumping... he had no chance to take the offensive.  
  
Suddenly, the whips stopped. Rockman looked at his foe, bent over from exertion. Rock was tired as well, both robots breathing deeply. It was not a necessity, as it is with humans, but simply in their programming to imitate human fatigue as a warning that they were pushing the limits of their bodies.  
  
Their eyes met, and Puppetman began to attack as ferociously as before. But the lull in action had given Rock a chance to prepare himself, as well as charge his buster. He watched the threads come, waiting. Moments before they reached him, he spun so that they missed him by mere millimeters. He grabbed at the threads, capturing them in his hand. He braced himself, and pulled.  
  
Puppetman had not anticipated the offensive, and was immediately pulled toward Rockman. Now that his opponent was open, he fired his buster. The newly enhanced plasma sent Puppetman hurtling into the wall, creating a sizeable dent. Rockman charged, and fired again. Puppetman was absorbed by the bright plasma, which charred his circuits milliseconds before he exploded.  
  
Wearily, the victorious robot made his way back out of the museum. He was pleased to see that the robots inside were now what they were, motionless shells. Displays.  
  
He walked through the entrance of the museum, finding the police still encircled around the building. They knew what his emergence meant, and began to cheer before he had even stepped onto the lawn.  
  
He heard a howl, and looked upwards to see Rush flying toward him. He smiled at his companion, but instead of the usual wagging of the tail that Rush gave him, the robotic dog landed in front of his master. A panel in his back popped open, revealing a holographic projector. The aged and worried face of Dr. Light appeared above him.  
  
"Rock, some... thing has destroyed the lab in the city. Please come back at once." The holograph disappeared, leaving a stunned Rock to comprehend the message.  
  
"Rockman!" He saw a policeman running toward him. As the officer approached, Rock could here the radio on his shoulder come to life.  
  
"...ackup required. Red robot attacki..." The voice stopped for a moment, then began to scream in agony as the radio was overcome by static, then went dead.  
  
Within minutes, robot and dog had disappeared from the museum, flying toward the city. 


	3. Alpha

Insanity Incarnate  
  
Chapter 2  
  
Rock realized that he had been foolish to run off before he even knew where the attack was taking place. But, if he turned back now, time would be wasted, and more lives lost. So he headed for the lab, hoping that the red robot was still there, or at least would have left some kind of trail he could follow.  
  
As Rock neared the lab, he began to doubt Dr. Light's claims that it had been destroyed. From his aerial view, he should have been able to see smoke long before he saw the building. But, there was no sign of destruction. Relief washed through him, as he realized that Dr. Light must have been mistaken.  
  
The relief was instantly washed away as he saw the actual building. He gapped at it, rather, what was left of it. It looked like the entire structure had just collapsed. No explosions, no sign of anything hitting it... it just collapsed. Whatever had destroyed the lab must have torn out the structure... with its bare hands! What could possibly have that much strength!?  
  
The museum... all that, it must have been a distraction. They knew Rock would leave to save those at the museum, leaving anyone else left in the lab defenseless. Rock couldn't bear to think of what would have happened if Dr. Light, or any of his family had been there when the attack happened.  
  
Rock wanted to fly down to the ruins of the building; salvage anything that could be saved. It was where Dr. Light had made most of his greatest achievements. It was where he had been "born". But he knew that whatever destroyed the lab was still lose. He could come back after the battle.  
  
He scanned the area, looking for signs that he could follow. The city was extremely large, and it would be almost impossible to find the robot without wasting valuable time. The he heard the sirens. He looked to find a squadron of police cars moving through the streets. With a motion to Rush, he followed.  
  
Soon, it was no longer necessary to follow the police. He could see where the robot had gone by the destruction it left. What disturbed Rock was that it seemed completely random. A building here, a car there, no purpose behind the violence. For a human, this might be expected, but for a robot, which followed specific directives in from its programming, the random destruction was almost eerie.  
  
He saw people running through the streets, amidst the police cars and ambulances struggling to get through. The police were setting up barriers beneath him. That relieved Rockman, because it meant that the robot was near, and that, hopefully, the area had been evacuated.  
  
Rush swooped downward, just over the heads of the police. The ones over the barrier saw him coming, and quickly moved to get out of the way. He knew that they wouldn't interfere, believing Rock to be able to handle robots much more efficiently then they. Which meant he wouldn't have to worry about them getting injured.  
  
He leapt off Rush, who was at his side an instant later. His right arm was already in its buster form. Rock restrained himself from charging it, incase there were any human near. He walked slowly away from the police behind the barrier, hoping to draw out the robot away from the humans. But, where was the robot? It was quiet, and Rock's above average hearing sought out any sound that might show the robot's position. From what he had seen, the robot didn't seem like one to lie in wait, but he knew it was better just to be cautious.  
  
Behind him, the wall of a diner suddenly exploded, showering Rock with glass. A dozen humans ran, screaming, out of the destroyed wall. One, a heavy man wearing a flannel shirt and denim jeans spotted Rock, and ran toward him.  
  
"For the love of God! Help me!" the man screamed. Rock moved toward the man, but froze as some... thing walked through the hole in the wall. At first, Rock though he was seeing a demon; it was tall, Rock would barely reach its chest, and its head ended in two points. As it stepped into the light, Rock saw it was a robot, but it might as well have been a demon. The crimson robot was covered in blood; it ran off him in sheets. The armor on his feet reached to his knees, ending in two sharp points. On its chest was what appeared to be a ventilation shaft, and two green orbs. Its helmet did indeed end in two points at the top, with a green gem at the forehead. Long, blonde hair came out of the helmet, reaching almost to the robot's feet. A Z was etched upon it round shoulder. Its wicked green eyes saw the man running toward Rock, and its mouth formed into a horrible grin.  
  
Rockman was petrified; he knew what would come, but did nothing to prevent it. With incredible speed, the red robot reached the man, took his neck in one hand, and his ample waist in the other, just above the crotch.  
  
"Oh God! Oh God! Oh God!" The man babbled as he was lifted bodily into the air, over the red robot's head. The robot's eyes widened with excitement, and his grin grew larger as he twisted his hands in opposite directions.  
  
In all his battles, hundreds of robots had fallen to his buster. But, he had never witnessed the death of a human. His first instinct was to cover his ears, close his eyes, but he didn't. He was frozen.  
  
The man screeched as hot blood poured onto the red robot. With a final twist, the man's body let out a sickening crunch, and his screaming ended. The red robot began to laugh, still holding the dripping body aloft. His gaze shifted to Rock, his eyes meeting Rocks. Rockman came as close to nausea as his programming let him.  
  
The red robot's eyes moved from Rock, over his shoulder, and the laughing stopped. The robot dropped the body, which hit the ground with a thud. The smile slowly faded from his face. Rockman wanted to turn to see what the robot was looking at, if only to take his eyes away from the body and the pool of blood it was lying in. But if he did, the robot might attack. With all his willpower, Rock kept his gaze on the robot. Until he heard the laughter behind him.  
  
It was all too familiar. Except, this time, this laughter sounded weak, with an underlying wheezing. He knew he was trapped, and he might as well face his foe. He turned, and was shocked by what he saw.  
  
Dr. Wily was sitting upon his ship, as always. But, it was not the Dr. Wily Rock was used to seeing. His lab coat hung off his shoulders, the skin on his hands sagged, his breathing was labored and wheezing. He looked as if he was on the brink of death; his body had wasted away. Except his eyes. That was the most remarkable change.  
  
His eyes were livid, wild with glee. They were not the eyes of a decrepit old man, but the eyes of a psychopath. His eyes, feasting on the carnage that his creation had wrought. Rock realized that Dr. Wily had truly succumbed to insanity. And this... thing... it was the manifestation of it. Dr. Wily's insanity brought to life.  
  
"I have won, Rockman!" Dr. Wily exclaimed. Rock had to strain to hear his voice. Wily did not seem to care, or perhaps he did not notice, how much he labored simply to draw enough breath to taunt his long-time foe. "Now that my son has killed Thomas, I have finally demonstrated who is the best." Wily stopped, clutching the edges of his ship as he took several long, ragged breaths.  
  
Did Wily say Dr. Light was dead? But, Dr. Light was alive, only his lab was destroyed. Perhaps Wily assumed that Dr. Light was in the lab.  
  
"Now, my son shall kill you as well..."  
  
"DAMN YOU WILY!" Rock looked past the living corpse of Dr. Wily, to see Forte upon Gospel, his own buster glowing with power. Wily grabbed desperately at the controls, but could not find the in his deteriorated arms to move fast enough. Forte's rapid-fire shot hit the ship, which bellowed smoke, and flew haphazardly through the air. It began a series of rolls and pitches, sending Wily into the air moments before the ship crashed into a building.  
  
Rock watched helplessly as Dr. Wily fell to his doom. Suddenly, he saw something move past him. The red robot, which had been standing perfectly still until that moment, raced past Rockman, then...  
  
Rock gasped as the red robot ran strait up a building, leapt, caught Wily, and landed almost daintily.  
  
What has Wily created!? He wondered in amazement.  
  
Wily, cradled in his creation's arms like a newborn babe, looked up at the robot in complete bliss.  
  
"You know your creator!" He said gleefully. As the red robot looked down at the withered man in his arms, his wicked smile crept upon his face. By then, it was too late for Wily.  
  
Rock looked on with horror as the robot dropped Wily, only to pick him up once again, this time with his hands clutched around the old man's head.  
  
Perhaps it was some mercy to Rockman, or maybe some kind of cosmic justice that Dr. Albert Wily did not have enough strength left to draw breath to scream in order to siphon some of his agony as his own creation wrapped his fingers around his head, and pulled.  
  
Forte leapt off Gospel, landing near the red robot and the corpse of Dr. Wily. Lacking the saliva to spit, he settled to simply kick the debris of the ship upon the body.  
  
"First King, now this." He said, his voice filled with contempt. "Now that Wily's dead, there will be no more pathetic robots." The red robot gazed at Forte, chuckling slightly. More prey.  
  
"Forte!" Rockman yelled. "You can't fight him alone! This robot..."  
  
"Shut up Rockman!" Forte yelled. "I'll destroy this pathetic robot with my own hands, then I'll kill you." Rock knew it wouldn't do any good to try to persuade Forte to fight together. He was far to focused on proving that he was the strongest to accept help, or even advice, from his rival. Rock could only hope it wouldn't be his undoing.  
  
Forte swung his buster at the blood-covered robot, and fired. The robot made no attempt to avoid as the purple plasma hit him dead on. He made almost no response to being hit, continuing to stand still, his eyes fixed on Forte.  
  
"Too scared to move, huh?" Forte said, his voice seething with confidence. He fired again, and again, the robot made no attempt to evade. His head snapped back as the plasma hit it, coming foreword immediately.  
  
"Why don't you move!?" Forte yelled as he ran at the robot. As he neared the robot, he leapt, clearing the robot. Before he hit the ground, he had fired his next round. It was then that Rock noticed that the robot was moving, ever so slightly. He was protecting his vital parts!  
  
Forte charged again, this time leaping at the robot. He planted his foot into the robot's face, and pushed off. In mid air, he swung his buster down, and fired a direct shot into his face. This time, Rock saw the eyes of the robot moving. He was studying Forte!  
  
"Forte!" He yelled, even though he knew it was in vain. "The robot's studying your fighting style!"  
  
"I SAID SHUT UP!" Forte screamed, turning to face Rock. As soon as Forte's eyes were off the robot, it charged. Before Rock could warn Forte, the robot crashed into him with his shoulder. Forte hit the ground, skidding for several feet. He got up to one knee immediately, glaring at the robot in rage.  
  
Rock desperately wanted to help Forte, but he knew getting involved would only make things worse. If he entered the battle, Forte would turn on Rock as well, attempting to fight both robots at the same time. As he just saw, if Forte turned his attention from the robot, it might cost him his life. Rock knew it was better to let Forte concentrate on the robot, and hope for a miracle.  
  
The red robot ran at Forte. Forte leapt, firing as he did so. The plasma didn't even slow the robot down, as he turned and leapt as well. Forte put his hands above his head as the red robot kicked downward. Forte yelled as he hit the concrete, creating several cracks in the road.  
  
Forte leapt to his feet; the red robot made contact with the ground and pushed off. Forte saw the charge, and managed to twist just slightly that the blow was glanced off is shoulder. Forte slammed his buster into the side of the red robot and fired.  
  
The force of the attack forced both combatants back several yards. Forte's hate-filled purple eyes met the malicious green ones of the red robot. They lunged for each other, trading blow for buster, neither showing the slightest mercy in their attacks.  
  
Forte had improved since their last battle, Rock observed. It was probably because of the battles with King, and his minions. But, no matter how well Forte fought, Rock knew it was a loosing battle. But, he was helpless to save his rival.  
  
Finally, the robots parted. Forte clutched his arm; his shoulders sagged. The red robot was showing no signs of fatigue, his eyes livid, ready for more.  
  
Suddenly, the red robot simply blurred out of view.  
  
"What the hell!" Forte screamed. "Are you too afraid to fight me! Are you afraid of death!" Rock glanced around the area, looking for some sign that the robot used a cloaking device, or was hiding.  
  
Forte gasped as the red robot appeared in front of him, grinning. Rock understood; the robot had simply been moving so fast that the visual sensors in his eyes couldn't keep track of it.  
  
Before the thought was complete, the red robot delivered a savage kick to Forte's exposed side. The force of the blow sent him flying into a streetlight, which snapped, into the window of an office building.  
  
Rock moved to see if Forte was still functioning when he heard an ear- piercing howl. Gospel appeared between the rubble where Forte lay, and the red robot. It had hurt Master, and it would pay.  
  
The robotic wolf launched himself at the red robot, who grinned. Gospel's teeth found the armored leg of the robot, and he began to pull and rip. The robot's foot snapped outward, releasing its self from Gospel's grasp. Gospel yelped as he flew though the air, landing on his side, only to get back up immediately, his back arched, his teeth bared.  
  
Gospel charged the robot again, this time leaping in an attempt to sink his fangs in the robot's throat. The red robot swung his fist, connecting with Gospel's head. With a yelp, he flew thought the air, and hit a parked car. Sparks showered from the robotic wolf.  
  
Rock saw something move at his side. He leapt away, to see it was Rush, who ran over to Gospel, bent down, and sniffed the wolf. Rush held his head high, and let out a howl. Rock's "heart" sank hearing his dog's howling moan.  
  
The red robot turned toward Rockman, chuckling softly. Rock lifted his buster; behind the red robot, Rush growled menacingly. Rock fired, the charged shot literally exploding from his arm cannon. The red robot moved to the side, the plasma missing him by millimeters. Using the opportunity, Rush charged, latching his teeth onto the robot's leg. The robot attempted to shake to dog off, when Rock fired again. Because of Rush's hold on his leg, the robot was unable to dodge, and the plasma hit him full in the face.  
  
The robot's head snapped backwards, followed by his body. Rush released his grip, and the robot hit the ground several feet from where Rush was standing. As soon as he was up, Rock and Rush charged. From countless battles together, robot and dog worked flawlessly together. One would distract the robot, while the other attacked. Or they would attack together, creating openings in the robot's defense for each other. At first, it seemed that Rock and Rush were too much for the red robot to handle.  
  
By the time the combatants separated for a long period of time, all three robots were breathing heavily. As Rock watched his opponent, he noticed that his breathing seemed to be... real. The slight irregularities in the way his shoulders heaved up and down, the gasps he heard from the robot's mouth... as if his was actually trying to catch his breath, instead of just programming telling it to. Rock didn't want to think about what that meant if it was true.  
  
The robot's breathing slowed, and he began to chuckle. He raised his right arm, and, to Rock's horror, it transformed into a buster, glowing with unimaginable power.  
  
"RUSH! RUN!" Rockman screamed, heeding his own advice. The robot fired. The huge ball of plasma hit where the duo had been standing moments ago, the force of the blast knocking both to the ground. Rock looked back, and was horrified to see a hole in the cement, exposing the sewer beneath. For probably only the second or third time in his life, he was sure he was about to die. But, not without a fight.  
  
He stood up, meeting his opponent's eyes with his own. Rock swung his buster foreword, and charged. He unleashed volley after volley at the robot, nearly everyone connecting. As he reached the robot, he leapt, and his buster began to glow with power. Rockman swung his buster into the face of the robot, and fired.  
  
The red robot hit the ground, bounced, and had to dig his fingers into the concrete to stop himself. Rock gasped as the robot stood once again. Beginning from his lip, a trail of dark-red blood ran down the robot's chin.  
  
It bleeds! Rock thought in horror. Is it even a robot!?  
  
The robot brought his hand up, touching his chin gently. He pulled his fingers away from his chin, and saw that they were smeared in blood. The robot looked up at Rock, half in anger, half in wonderment. He smirked as he sung his buster at Rock, and fired.  
  
Rock dodged, once again knocked to the ground by the force of the blast. He got up, and to his horror, the red robot was gone! He scanned the area, but there was no trace of him. Rush walked toward his master, limping slightly. Rockman knew it wouldn't do any good to stay there. He knew that if he found the red robot again, he had no chance of winning. It would be better to go home; formulate some kind of plan to destroy the... thing. Whatever it was, it wasn't a robot.  
  
It was something more.  
  
***  
  
Rock was afraid. He felt sick at "heart" as he neared his home. What if Wily had been right? What if Dr. Light was dead, instead of just the babbling of an insane man? Relief spread over him as he saw the house still in one piece. He leapt off Rush, and ran into the house, the dog following him, still limping.  
  
"Dr. Light!" Rock yelled as he tore through the house. He found Dr. Light, Roll, Auto, Beat, and Eddie all sitting near the television, obviously watching for news about the attacks. The first one to speak, though, was not who he expected.  
  
"So, just how powerful is that red robot?" Blues asked, leaning on the wall across the room, his shield next to him. For a moment, Rock was too shocked to answer. It was the first time he had ever seen his brother in his house. Really, it was the first time he had seen his brother outside of battle. Blues read his surprise, and filled in the blanks.  
  
"They didn't let the TV crews in after you showed up, so I went to check it out. When I saw that Forte was coming, I left. I figured if you two couldn't handle it, what could I do?" He said, rather cynically. "So, I came here. I figured it'd be the best place to get information. Once you left, they assumed you killed the robot. Then he was sighted two miles from there. Just a minute ago." Rock hung his head.  
  
"I couldn't do it. That thing was too strong." Rockman felt as if he was going to collapse; the weight of all his deeds, the weight of all humanity, was finally beginning to seem like too much for his small shoulders. He took of his helmet, and was shocked to find spots of blood on it. Human blood, from its hands.  
  
Rock told them; about Wily's gruesome death, Forte and Gospel's defeat, and the horrible power of the thing that was so much more then a robot. As he finished, he turned to Dr. Light.  
  
"Do you think that this thing can be destroyed?" Rock asked his father. Dr. Light's face was uncharacteristically grave.  
  
"This robot... Albert must have been truly insane to build something like that. It seems to me, that perhaps, this robot is so advanced, that it might be able to override its own programming. It makes sense. Albert would have known this, and would have kept its directives to a minimum, to ensure success. It seems, he only gave it one... to kill me."  
  
Dr. Light had to sit, as the truth came to him.  
  
"Normally, without any directives, a robot would cease to function. But this one, its so far beyond any other model, it might function of its own... free will. So, Wily gave him one objective; so strong that it couldn't be ignored. Once it was completed, it went about doing the only thing the only thing it knew to do. Kill."  
  
Which is why Wily is dead now. Rock thought. That was why he was so surprised when he thought he had been saved. Rock shook his head. Wily had been so deeply focused on Dr. Light's death that he had taken no measures to prevent his own.  
  
"So, again, can this thing be defeated?" Blues asked, annoyed.  
  
"From what I've heard, I wouldn't be surprised if this thing had complete systems. Organs, blood, veins, a skeletal system... all attached to a plasma buster. Most likely, if one system fails, there will be another to take its place. If you want to destroy this thing, you'd most likely have to shut down all its systems, perhaps all within a fraction of an instant." Dr. Light shook his head.  
  
"So, we'd need some kind of a miracle?" Blues scoffed. Rock nodded gravely. Suddenly, Rush ran in front of the group, growling. Rock looked up, and saw Forte standing in the doorway, holding a limp Gospel in his arms.  
  
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^  
  
Author's Notes: Thank you, moonymonster, for your review. I will now address your question about Zero's naming. I realized when writing it that it would probably not make sense to the reader, but because I was delving into Wily's insane mind, it probably shouldn't make much sense.  
  
In WWII, Japanese planes were called "Zeros" because of the red circles that were painted on their planes (the red circles are the ones on the Japanese national flag). They were agile, and light, and were occasionally used for kamikaze missions (the pilot would dive into a battle ship or aircraft carrier, killing the pilot, but doing heavy damage to the ship). (Thanks to the Mega Man Network for this information).  
  
Most people believe he was given the name "Zero" because he sacrificed himself in the fight against Vava (Vile). And, again in the fifth fight against Sigma. But, why would Wily name his creation Zero? Surely not to help his rival's creation.  
  
Therefore I came to the conclusion that he was named "Zero" because of the virus implanted in his body. As seen in Rockman X4, when Zero was defeated, the virus jumped to Sigma, infecting him. I believe it was meant as a failsafe incase Rockman actually defeated Zero. He would have been infected by the virus, and thus gone insane and start killing himself. (I have theories as to what the virus is, as a program, but I won't go into that, as the explanation is already quite lengthy).  
  
Thus, if Zero was defeated, Wily would still achieve victory, thus he named Zero after a kamikaze plane.  
  
Whew... I hope that cleared up some stuff, or at least didn't leave anyone MORE confused. 


End file.
